A Date With Danger
by xlnthands
Summary: When Alex decides to give up on her feelings for her partner, she finds herself involved with a man who has a secret that might turn deadly. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Lock Down and Vodka

A/N: Just so there isn't any confusion, the first paragraph is from a part of the story that comes later. Read on, I promise it will all be clear later on.

This first chapter is told from Alex's POV, the next on will be Bobby's and they continue to alternate.

During this story I have followed the correct order of episodes starting with In The Wee Small Hours and ending in the middle of Slither. However, I have taken some liberty with the time line. I have also always assumed that we, as the audience, have never been privileged to see every single case that crosses the desk of Deakins or his detectives so one of the cases they work on is my own invention. It is nothing special as would be fitting of the cases that we are not privy to but I wanted to show something that further demonstrated my take on our hero's personality.

Everything I learned about the Romanovas and Russian Literature, I owe to Wikipedia.

Please read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 1Lock Down and Vodka

_**On the evening in question, Alex checked her reflection in the hall mirror as she went to the door to let Dante in. She was wearing her new Jean Paul Gaultier dress. It was by far the sexiest thing she had ever owned, except for maybe the leather mini she had worn for good luck during her days in vice. The dress was black with patches of fishnet strategically placed at the sleeves and up the side panels. She had stockings to match with sheer panels running up the front of the legs. Alex had chosen a pair of wine colored strappy heels to complete the outfit. Her hair was swept up off her face by a small gold clip. She knew she looked good. She also knew she was wasting it on the wrong man.**_

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She had met Dante the evening after her disastrous testimony in the Judge Garret trial for the murder of Bethany Lunden. She had decided to stop in at Lock Down, the local cop bar around the corner from One PP. She was angry, still shaking, in fact, and she was tired but knew she wasn't ready for the long drive home. She wasn't ready to unlock the door to the empty house that she used to share with her dead husband.

She was sitting at the bar, talking with the bartender and owner of the place, Albert Roth. He had been pouring drinks there since her Dad was a rookie cop. Albert had pictures of himself behind the bar shaking hands with each Chief of Detectives and Police Commissioner the city had seen since the bar had opened. He had been a handsome devil back in the day, Alex thought.

"Does your daddy know your in here, Alexandra?" The old man asked.

"No, and your not going to tell him either," she waved a playful finger under the man's nose and then motioned for him to refill her glass.

"Where's your partner tonight?" He asked, pouring her another martini.

_Good question_, Alex thought. At the courthouse, Bobby had acted like everything was fine, like he forgave her but how could he when she couldn't forgive herself? She had hurt him, unintentionally, but she had. _Oh God, what must it have been like for him to sit in that courtroom and listen to that idiotic defense attorney assassinate his character like that and then hear that she had tried to dispose of him five years ago? _Once she had withdrawn the letter, she hadn't given it another thought. She was a cop's daughter though, she should have known that nothing put in writing with the NYPD ever disappears, it just sits in a folder or file waiting to come to light again someday.

The simple truth was that Bobby had come to mean too much to her. She had quickly learned that he was a first rate detective and that together they made a formidable team. She knew him so well now. Hell, that happened in every partnership and marriage. When you spent anywhere from 8 to 14 hours a day with someone, that person gets to see you at your best and your worst. You get to know each other's history, each other's stories, you even got to know each other's jokes. Bobby always got her coffee perfect and she always knew instinctively what he would order when they went out to eat. Working with him was a source of joy and pride for her. She was honest though, honest enough to admit to herself that not being able to be anything more to Bobby than a partner was beginning to suck the life out of her existence.

"You look as if someone has kicked your dog," said a well timbered voice.

Alex looked up from where she had been studying the wood pattern of the bar and saw a tall, trim nice-looking guy who had just sat down at the bar one stool over from her.

_He's not as tall as Goren_, she thought. _That's not a bad thing. Doesn't your neck ever get tired, Eames, _said another voice in her head. "Yeah, I think he got kicked down the stairs, off the curb and over the bump in the road."

"That bad, huh?" The guy moved over one stool and put his hand out to shake hers. "I'm Dante, silly name I know but my mother was in love with Italy the summer I was conceived."

"Alex," she shook his hand and noticed that the man shook hers just right. Not too hard, not too soft, not too long or short. There was no sly caress as he released her hand.

"As in Alexandra?" She nodded. "That **is **a coincidence."

"Why, is that your wife's name?" Alex ask her voice dripping sarcasm.

"No," he laughed, "but I realize how it might sound that way. No, I'm a professor of Russian Literature at NYU. I'm writing a book about Alexandra Feodorovna the Russian Tsaritsa married to the last Tsar Nicholas II. " He looked pointedly at her, "and I'm not married."

Alex raised her eyebrows. "Well that is a coincidence."

"Maybe its also serendipitous. May I buy you another drink?"

She was a detective and she knew all the signs to look for: tan line on his finger, mismatched buttons sewn onto his shirt, baby spit up on his shoulder. Alex saw none of these signs on this guy. He was cute with the kind of wavy brown hair that women liked to run their fingers through. The glasses he wore were stylish and suited his face, making him look, studious and intellectual. He had on what appeared to be the standard academics uniform of a tan jacket with leather pads at the elbow and a rust colored shirt underneath. His shoes were a bit worn. Everything looked to be in order with what he had said of himself so far, no warning bells. Alex silently dipped her head toward her drink acquiescently.

They got a booth in the back and spent an hour or so talking to one another. Dante had been duly impressed when she told him what she did for a living but did not seem either overly interested nor did he seem intimidated by it. When Alex finally caught sight of the time, he had asked for her number and she gave it to him.

She drove home that night, keeping an eye out for anyone following her and replayed the evening in her mind. She was glad she gave Dante her number, maybe it was time she took her life in a new direction.

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A few days later, Alex arrived early for once. She had made it to Starbucks and had pick up their usual coffees and she also got an assortment of muffins and pastries. As she set the food down on her desk, she realized how blatantly obvious she was being, trying to bribe her partner with food. Things still felt strained between them. She was trying to fix that. She sat down and ran her fingers through her hair in agitation.

"Headache?" said a familiar voice.

She jumped, startled and looked up see the same warm brown eyes she had been looking at across her desk for the last five years. "No, I'm alright. I brought the works from Starbucks." She set Bobby's cup down in front of him and rattled the contents of the bag.

"Great, I didn't have time to stop this morning."

Alex observed him under her lashes as she set the baked goods out on the desk. He looked good. The suit he wore was one of her favorites, it was the same charcoal grey as his hair, impeccably tailored, he looked like he had been poured into it_. God what am I thinking? Didn't I just meet a great guy the other night? Didn't I just decide to try to let go a little and explore other options?_

"Hey, you two I've got a live one for you." Deakins called out from his office. Once the two detectives had taken their seats, the Captain gave them the details of their new case.

"So, in a nut shell, the mayor's brother was seen entering the building where they were holding illegal dog fights but no body has seen or heard from him since."

"Maybe he got rabies and died." Alex said through the side of her mouth, the distaste she had for the brother's activities written clearly on her features.

"Do we know if he has a gambling problem?" Bobby asked.

"The only thing I do know is that the mayor has always had "handlers" attached to the guy" Deakins raised the two fingers of each hand in the air to put the word in quotations. "He obviously must have some kind of problem if the mayor feels he needs to be babysat twenty four seven."

Bobby nodded his understanding and the two left the office to start their case.

They spent the morning looking over the building where Alan Pemberton had last been seen. It was an abandon clothing factory. There were clues galore to the type of activities that had taken place there the night before but no sign of Pemberton. Next they met with the mayor, the assistant mayor, the mayor's mother and the man in charge of escorting Alan Pemberton, Rudy Guisseppe.

They then grabbed some sandwiches and came back to One PP to check the computer for likely suspects that had priors in dog fighting. There were flowers sitting on Alex's desk when they arrived. The bouquet was a tasteful arrangement for December of miniature red roses with white chrysanthemums decorated with sprigs of holly and mistletoe. Alex felt the color begin to rise to her face. She sat down and opened the card.

_To my lovely Tsaritsa,_

_I enjoyed our time together and was hoping you might be free to have dinner with me. I want to take you to my favorite little Russian restaurant over in Brooklyn. They know me there so I don't need reservations, we can just go whenever you are free._

_With hope,_

_Dante_

Alex was flustered. Until she had gone to sleep that night, she had thought of nothing but Dante, playing their conversation over in her mind. Since then, however, she had hardly spared him a thought. She glanced over at Bobby who was pointedly chewing through both his sandwich and the report he was reading. He was purposely ignoring her. Any other time, all she had to do was keep her gaze on him to capture his attention.

Alex put the card away in her purse and moved the flowers to the right of her Santa cup. The flowers at least reminded her that the Holiday season was fast approaching and she hadn't bought a single gift yet.

She decided to wait till later to call Dante, hoping she would find a moment alone to do so. She clicked onto her computer and began to pull up rap sheets for the suspects they wanted to question.

They made their inquiries among a few of the more likely degenerates who operated dog fights in the city but no one knew anything, naturally.

They were due to meet Rudy Guisseppe at Pemberton's apartment to check for clues to the man's whereabouts. The apartment building was renovated and trendy but the inside of Pemberton's place was a different story. It was very messy. "Is this normally the way the place looks?" Bobby asked Guisseppe, picking up a pair of boxers off the kitchen floor.

"Yeah, he ain't one for neatness."

"Can you tell me why the family hired you?"

Guisseppe looked uncomfortable. "I told you before, I drive him around, make sure he goes where he supposed to, things like that."

"And is there a reason that Mr. Pemberton isn't capable of doing these things for himself?" Detective Goren leaned over to catch the older man's eyes.

"Well, Alan, he's a bit, you know, slow." The man started to walk away but Alex stepped up to block his progress. Bobby placed one large hand on the man's shoulder and turned him around to face him.

"You mean, like he has a learning disability, maybe he's handicapped, mentally?"

"Yeah, like that, only the mayor, he doesn't like anyone to know. He's afraid people will try to use Alan against him."

"Has someone used Alan before?" Alex asked

"Yeah, one time this nut case that had a beef against the mayor had lured the poor guy away and put him on the ferry to Staten Island and left him there. The nut case then made a ransom demand. Security guards called wantin to know what to do with Alan just as the mayor was reading the ransom note."

"All's well that ends well, I guess." Alex said, looking to her partner for corroboration but Bobby was busy pinching his bottom lip with a finger and his thumb.

"And it wasn't you who drove him to the dog fight?" Bobby asked

"No, I had a doctors' appointment for my wife, I took the day off. Stephens

drove him and dropped him off like an idiot."

The detectives looked around the apartment for any tell tale sign of where the occupant might be now and came up empty.

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The lights of the restaurant were low and inviting. The food was delicious and the service was fun and friendly. Alex looked across at her companion. He was wearing a dark suit with a light blue shirt this evening. She thought he looked even better tonight than he had at the bar. Dante was definitely in his element, ordering in Russian and telling her delightful tales about each dish they sampled. He looked more relaxed and open or maybe that was the Russian Vodka they were imbibing in.

Afterwards, he walked her to her car. It had been a long time since Alex had stood awkwardly across from a date while that invisible meter bounced back and forth between kiss him or not. She finally said to hell with it and step up purposefully and instigated things herself.

The kiss lacked finesse. _I must be rustier than I thought, _but Dante was apparently not finished and wrapped her in his arms to continue. When they broke apart Alex agreed to see him again but she was ready to go home.

As she lay in bed that night, she thought about the kiss and wondered whether it was fair to compare a real kiss to the fantasy one she had been playing in her head for years now.


	2. Engine Blocks and Pretzels

A/N: I have always loved the stories that elaborate on the friendship between Bobby and Lewis. Here is another take on what I think their relationship is like.

Vardoger: Stories typically include instances that are nearly deja vu in substance, but in reverse, where a spirit with the subject's footsteps, voice, scent, or appearance and overall demeanor precedes them in a location or activity, resulting in witnesses believing they've seen or heard the actual person, before the person physically arrives. This bears a subtle difference from a doppelganger, with a less sinister connotation. It has been likened to being a phantom double, or form of bilocation.

Doppelganger: has come to refer to any double or look-alike of a person. The word is also used to describe the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection. They are generally regarded as harbingers of bad luck. In some traditions, a doppelgänger seen by a person's friends or relatives portends illness or danger, while seeing one's own doppelgänger is an omen of death, or results in immediate death upon the two coming face to face. Please read, review and enjoy!

Both definitions come from Wikipedia

Please read, review and enjoy!

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Chapter 2 Engine blocks and Pretzels

"Jesus Christ, Lewis! Hurry up, this thing is heavy!" Bobby shouted. They were at Lewis's garage installing a motor into a Chevy Nova that his friend was restoring. They had used the engine hoist to lower the massive block engine into the vehicle but something wasn't matching up right and Bobby used his strength to tip the motor on its side while Lewis monkeyed around under the car trying to locate the source of the problem.

"Found it." Lewis said triumphantly holding up a misplaced wrench. "I didn't remember leaving that there."

"Fingers," Bobby yelled and dropped the block into place. "I swear to God, you give new meaning to the saying "throwing a monkey wrench in it". Bobby was sweating and he wiped the back of his hand over his forehead, leaving a faint streak of grease. The sweatshirt he was wearing had a few streaks, as well. With the sleeves cut off of it, the sweatshirt looked like it had seen better days. The jeans he had on were the same, faded with holes at the knees and frayed at the hem.

"Oh, give me a break, Bobby. Not all of us are so intellectually superior that we never forget where we put something. Oh, wait that's not you either, considering I seem to recall you forgetting that beat up binder of yours at my house last week." Lewis punched him in the arm.

"Truce," Bobby threw up his hands. "I do remember though, you mentioning that you would be buying the beer if I came and helped you today.

Lewis was wiping his hands off on an old red rag. "Yeah, in the fridge. Help yourself."

Bobby opened the door to the fridge and grabbed two beers, trying not to notice the horror scene of decay and mold that permeated the interior of the appliance. They went and sat down in the shop office, Lewis at his desk with his feet planted on top of the work orders and Bobby on the ancient leather sofa with the cracked cushions and dried out foam. He had spent a lot of time here with his friend over the years. The only thing that ever changed in the room was the calendar picture on the wall of a scantily clad female laying splayed out on the hood of a car.

"I don't understand what the problem is." Lewis said, picking up the thread of the conversation they had been having before dropping the engine in. "You two have been working together for years, what's changed?"

Bobby took a swig of his beer. "Its complicated."

"There's never been anything about you that wasn't." Lewis laughed.

"Vardoger"

"Come again?" Lewis had just tilted his beer back and a little of it trickled down his chin in his surprise.

Bobby ran his hand over his face, pulling at his jaw. "Vardoger, its like a Doppelganger without the sinister overtones."

"Yeah? And my Aunt Sally likes to watch the Mets."

"What?" Bobby said looking at his friend.

"Hey, if you don't have to make sense, neither do I." Lewis told his friend shrewdly. A smile lit up the larger man's face and made Lewis relax knowing Bobby got his little joke.

"I'm sorry, Lewis. I was talking about Eames. Ever since she gave her testimony at that damn trial, she has been different with me, she still talks the same, acts the same, hell, she even smells the same but she is not the same."

"Smells the same, huh?'' Lewis grinned.

Bobby waved his teasing away with one hand. "I told her that I was lucky she withdrew her letter. You know, in a way, finding out about that letter was a relief. I've worried since day one that some day she would get her fill of working with me and request another partner. To find out now that she did think about it all those years ago and then decided to stay, well, it just erased all that anxiety."

"God, Goren, your such an idiot." Lewis laughed again taking his feet down from his desk. "This is Detective Alex we are talking about. She comes from a family of cops, right? Loyalty first and all that. She feels guilty, like she betrayed you, man. Your gonna have to tell her better than that if you want her to know that you're fine with it."

"Thanks, I can always count on my friends to make me feel better." Bobby said sourly. "Its not just that, she dating someone now. She hasn't dated anyone in a long time, at least not anyone she's mentioned to me."

"How do you know?"

"Somebody sent her flowers this afternoon. She read the card and then put it in her purse. If they were from someone, you know, someone like her Dad or whatever, she would have said so."

"Look, I've known for a long time that you have feelings for your partner." Bobby tried to protest but Lewis raised a hand to silence him. "Dude, I've known you since we were kids. I knew it when you liked Mary Beth in 5th grade, I knew it when you had a crush on that chemistry teacher in 7th grade. What was her name?"

"Ms. Rathbone."

"Yeah, she was hot. I knew it when you started going steady with Daphne Rayburn Junior year and I know it now."

Bobby said nothing and drained his beer.

Lewis threw his hands up in the air. "So, what are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to go home and take a shower." Bobby pulled his frame up off the old couch.

"Chicken" Lewis called after his friend as he left the room.

**************************************

He did go home and shower but the events of the day had left him well, if not disturbed, at least uneasy. His mind kept bouncing between the possible whereabouts of Alan Pemberton and the possible whereabouts of Alex Eames and with whom.

He found himself in Central Park. It had rained earlier and the sidewalks were still wet and glistening in the lamplight. He walked along the trails, his long stride eating up distance, carrying him deeper into the park.

He was trying to fix the sequence of events in his mind. She had testified at the courthouse at approximately 4pm on Thursday. Things had been hinky with them since then. The flowers showed up on her desk today. They had worked fairly late the last few days so he was pretty sure she had gone home on those nights. She had to have met this mystery guy that night after the trial.

Lewis was probably right about Alex feeling guilty about what happened. He didn't like to think about her being somewhere feeling so bad and having some guy come along and try to pick her up. And now the guy was sending her flowers. The thought depressed him to no end.

Bobby was just coming to a footbridge when he heard the noise of a dog whining. He was still holding the remains of a pretzel he had bought from a street vendor and decided to try to give it to the dog. "Here boy, come and get it." He whistled for the dog to come out. More whining ensued but Bobby could also hear what sounded like feet scuffing on the pavement. He put his hand to his service piece.

"Hey, I'm just trying to give your dog some food." Bobby called out.

"He is hungry," said a voice from out of the dark.

Bobby's eyes widened as a man emerged from the shadows holding a fairly aggressive looking pit bull by a slender rope. The dog whined again and strained at the rope. "Oh, Jeez," Bobby said. _How do I get myself into these things? _He dropped the pretzel on the ground in front of the dog and turned to make good his escape when he happened to glance at the dog's companion. He did a double take. _Holy shit! _He was dirty and his head was bleeding from a cut but the man was none other than their missing person; Alan Pemberton.

Bobby called for a squad car to come and pick them up. He also told them to send someone from the ASPCA for the dog. He asked Alan Pemberton what he was doing there and if the dog was his. All Pemberton would say was that he and Fluffy had gone to the park and that they were both hungry.

He hesitated but went ahead and pushed his speed dial button for Eames. It rang a number of times before she picked it up. He almost dropped the phone when it occurred to him that she might not be alone or necessarily asleep.

"Eames?"

"Yeah, hey what time is it?"

At least she sounded like she had been asleep. "It's 1:30. Sorry to call so late. I found Pemberton."

"What, where, why are you…never mind, where are you, I'm on my way."

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Bobby had Pemberton in one of the interview rooms. The guy was busy sucking down a Coke and had already eaten his way through half a box of doughnuts when Alex arrived. She was wearing a kind of floaty looking top, something he had never seen her wear and a black skirt. Somehow he knew these were the clothes she had been wearing earlier in the evening.

"How did you find him?" Amazement and confusion showed on her face.

"Dumb luck, actually. I offered a pretzel to the dog he had with him and I recognized him."

"In Central Park?"

"Um hmmm."

"An hour ago?"

"Uh, yeah, why?" Bobby squirmed a little in his seat.

"What in God's name were you doing in Central Park at that hour?" Bobby could see the gold flecks of anger dancing in her eyes.

"I was thinking about the case." He said defensively.

"You mean you were doing your John Wayne impression, walking wherever the hell you wanted, daring someone to even think about crossing you." Neither one of them was paying any attention to Alan who was watching the two of them with a happy expression on his face.

"Eames, I…."

She cut him off. "You never do care if anything happens to you, do you Bobby? You just expect me to….never mind." They both caught sight of Guisseppe coming out of the elevator. She gave him a look that said their discussion was far from over.

"Have a seat, Mr. Guisseppe. The family sent you here to pick him up?" Alex asked him.

"Yeah, they said that he had Fluffy with him, is that true?" The man asked twisting his hat in his hands.

"Yes," Bobby answered. "Is the dog his?"

"Used to be, sort of. You see one day, I come over and here Alan has this dog in his apartment. He's not supposed to have animals at his place cuz of the lease but the guy he's so happy, I figured wait till they catch him and let him have a little fun."

"They caught him and made him get rid of the dog?" Alex said her voice full of sympathy.

The mayor told Stephens to take it to the shelter but I guess he didn't."

Comprehension dawn on Bobby's features, he turned to Alan. "Alan, how did you find out where Fluffy was?"

"He told me Fluffy was a fighter now."

"Stephens told you?"

"Yeah he showed me where Fluffy was being a fighter. I knew Fluffy didn't want to be no fighter so I went and got him."

"It's a wonder they didn't kill him." Alex said softly, indicating the men who used the dogs for gambling.

"Somehow, I doubt Fluffy was a courageous fighter." Bobby told her.

"Can I take him home now?" Guisseppe asked getting up from his seat.

"Yeah, you know, Guisseppe the guy **is** the mayor's brother. You would think the mayor would be able to get Fluffy declared some sort of service animal for his own brother. That way the apartment management would have to let Alan keep the dog."

"Hey, that's right." The older man's face lit up. "That's a great idea. I'll talk to the mayor about it tomorrow." The two men made their way to the bank of elevators.

Bobby straightened his shoulders and turned in his seat to face his partner. He expected her to continue berating him for his risky behavior in the park. What he found was a smile on her face and a look of pleasure in her eyes.

She got up from her chair and leaned toward him. "That was a very nice thing to do, Bobby." She bent forward and kissed his cheek. He could smell the lingering scent of an unfamiliar perfume still clinging to her clothes and hair. He turned around in his chair and watched her walked over to the elevators and disappear.


	3. Cupcakes and Christmas Shopping

A/N: I took the liberty of sending Logan and Barek out to find their body in Saving Face in December instead of late November

A friend of mine has told me about the New York craze for Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. I have no idea what they taste like but I want one.

So many times during the show Alex has made a wisecrack and then Bobby has turned his back on the suspect. I know he's laughing and trying not to get caught.

Please read, review and enjoy!

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Chapter 3 Cupcakes and Christmas shopping

Seven am came way too early the next morning. Alex punched the button on her alarm clock as if it were a live thing that she could inflict damage on. With consciousness came cognizance and her mind turned to the previous night's activities. Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Bobby had plucked Alan Pemberton out of the dark corners of Central Park and sent him back home with the family's retainer. She snuggled up with her pillow with a silly grin thinking of how thoughtful her partner had been to come up with a solution where the poor man might be able to keep his dog. That was the thing about Robert Goren. He looked at their cases as not just exercises in detective work but also as exercises in morality. He wanted to catch the bad guys and he wanted to make sure everyone was treated fairly, victims and perpetrators alike. In Bobby's mind the problem hadn't stopped with finding Alan and returning him safe and sound, he had also had to do something about the dog, as well.

Alex groaned, got up and headed for her shower. How was she supposed to concentrate on taking her life in a different direction when Bobby kept sucking her back in by behaving like some goddam superhero? Life, liberty and puppy kisses for all. It also didn't help that the kiss she had shared with Dante had already faded from her mind.

*********************************************

She got off the elevator on the 11th floor and nearly collided with Mike Logan who was followed by his partner, Carolyn Barek. "You two are off early."

"Captain wants us to check out a surprise two kids found behind a dumpster." Mike told her in his crisp no-nonsense tone.

"Ooh, dumpster diving before breakfast, have fun you two." Alex told them as the door closed.

Bobby was not at his desk. H_mph, that's twice lately that I've beat him to work. _She knocked on the Captain's door.

"Come on in. I got Bobby's message this morning about the mayor's brother. What the hell was Goren doing in Central Park at that hour anyway?" The Captain asked.

Alex merely threw her hands up indicating she had no idea. "I am concerned though that the guys who bought the dog might not take too kindly to Alan's rescue. I would also like to know how Alan just waltzed in and took one of their dogs without anybody stopping him."

"Your right," Deakins pointed his finger at her. "We don't need someone gunning for this guy in revenge. You and Goren take today and see if you can't button this thing up."

"You got it." Alex went back to her desk to start making a list of people to talk to. The first name on the list was whoever this Stephens was who kept flubbing up where Alan was concerned. He hadn't been present during their first round of interviews.

A large hand came over the top of her and placed a familiar looking white box with brown lettering on her desk. "Oh my God, you didn't?"

"I woke up with a taste for them." Bobby shrugged. "No, no, no the German Chocolate one is mine, the Devil's Food is yours."

"I like them both" Alex said, licking the frosting from her fingers after she handed him the German Chocolate cupcake from Magnolia's Bakery.

"Well, I don't. I like this one and only this one."

Alex bit into her cupcake and watched with amusement as her partner went through a complex process of carefully and completely removing the wrapper from his cupcake before taking a bite. She on the other hand had just pulled down one side and then dug in.

"I was thinking this morning about Alan." Bobby said after his first bite. Alex's mouth was full so she just nodded. "How did he get the dog away from them?"

"I already talked the Captain about it. He wants us to clear up the loose ends on this. I think we should start by having Stephens brought in for questioning."

"You mean make him sweat a little." Bobby smiled a devious grin.

"Or a lot, depending on what he has to say." Alex grinned back at him. This felt better. This felt like everything was alright between them and then she saw Bobby glance at the flowers still sitting on her desk. She watched the grin fade from his face. Was he jealous, she wondered. Was that why he went and got her favorite guilty breakfast? She couldn't help feeling a small thrill at the idea.

**************************************************

Mark Stephens was a tall, thin scarecrow of a man. Alex half expected to see bits of straw sticking out of his wrinkled shirt collar. He had a large beak nose and beady eyes. The sour expression of his face was only made worse by the squirming he was doing while waiting for them in the interrogation room.

They decided Alex should go in first. She entered the room and the man visibly relaxed. _I guess he thinks he can't be in too much trouble if they sent in a woman._

She started with the easy stuff. Do you work for the mayor's office, how long, in what capacity, things like that. He was comfortable enough now to start giving flippant answers.

"So, you drove Alan to that building where the dog fighting was held?"

"Hey, I didn't know what it was. Alan said he wanted to go there. It wasn't my job to question him."

"So you didn't know what it was, hadn't been there before?"

"That's right, I was only supposed to take him where he wanted to go."

"Did Alan say anything about why he wanted to go there?"

"No, he didn't tell me anything." The guy crossed him arms over his chest and looked down his nose at her.

The door opened and Bobby came in, he handed her a piece of paper as if it were an important document. In reality it was an old unfinished report he had fished out of the trash. Bobby had crossed out some of the words and turned it into a story about Deakins cavorting around with a call girl. It was all Alex could do to keep a straight face.

"Oh my, Mark," she said as she pretended to read the report. She looked at Bobby. "Is this true?"

"Mmm hmm, every word." Bobby looked at Stephens with sympathetic eyes. "Your goose is cooked, my friend."

"It seems we have a witness that makes you as a regular betting the puppies."

"No. That's not true"

"Yeah, they say that not only are you a regular but that you were the one who helped Alan get the dog out of there."

"That's a lie." The man shouted.

"I don't know, there's a lot of detail here. They say some other interesting things as well." Alex said in a mocking tone. "I think you better start spilling your guts or we are going to start racking up the charges and go cut a deal with this guy." She shook the paper under his nose.

"Illegal gambling," Bobby started to count off on his fingers, "kidnapping and endangerment of a person with special needs…"

"All right. I took him there and I helped him get the dog. I heard about that other guy who made the ransom demand. I figured I'd take him to my apartment for a few days. Having the dog back would keep him quiet. I'd make my demand and split. I told him to wait in the car while I finished paying off the guy who had the dog but he and the mutt were gone when I got back. I looked but I couldn't find him so I just kept quiet about it.

Bobby looked at her. "Are you satisfied?" Alex nodded. "I'm satisfied." Bobby said with a wide grin. "Mark Stephens you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Alan Pemberton for the purpose of extorting ransom. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney….."

Alex left the room and went into the Observation Room, she finally allowed herself to laugh out loud over Bobby's report. Her partner handed the guy off to one of the uniforms and joined her.

"You know, I'm going to have to get you back for that." She told him when she could finally speak again and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I nearly lost it this time, I swear the guy noticed my lips twitching. It was a good thing he couldn't figure out why." She smacked him playfully on the sleeve.

Bobby just smiled, rocking gently back on his heels, his hands clasp behind his back. "You've gotten me pretty good in the past. I've actually had to turn my back on a suspect so he couldn't see me smiling." His face suddenly lost the smile. "Why did you kiss me last night?"

Alex felt her heart jump to her throat. So it was her turn to be interrogated. _Should she say because a kiss on the cheek was the very least she wanted to do to him? _"It was a reward, Bobby. You get a reward when you go above and beyond the call of duty." She tried to move past him out the door. He stood fast for a moment, forcing her to look up into his face. This was dangerous. She could smell his aftershave, it had notes of citrus and sandalwood. She could see the pupils of his eyes dilate. _What game was he playing at now? _"Jeez, Goren, you act like I threatened your virtue or something."

She saw the curtain come down on his expression and he stepped to the side, out of her way. Alex fled to the safety of the squad room. There was the booking to be done on Stephens and their final reports to write. She saw Bobby come out a few seconds later and watched him go into Deakins' office to inform him of the arrest and confession.

Once they finished all the paperwork, Alex went and asked her Captain for the afternoon off. The last several hours had been a strain with her and her partner speaking very civilly to one another without their usual camaraderie. She needed a break and she hadn't done any Christmas shopping yet. If she waited much longer the stores would be crammed.

*********************************************

She hit the stores on 34th Street, including the window at Macy's. The stores were ready for Christmas, each one with a different theme. She strolled along the shop windows trying to make a list of friends and family and gift ideas for them in her head. Her Dad was easy, golf balls. Mom would be more difficult. Her sister likewise. Her brothers would get memberships to the Beer-of-the-month club. She wanted to get her nephew something really cool like a T-ball set. She always got the Captain a different commemorative U. S. Navy tie clip since he was an old Navy man. And then there was her partner.

Every year she got him something safe, something that could not be misconstrued as having any ulterior meaning. She was getting very tired of having to restrain herself as she had done today. A few hours later, her arms loaded with bags, she was on her way back to her car when she came to a high-end stationary store. The display window held an item that she knew Bobby would love. She debated for a minute, hopping from one foot to the other in indecision. Finally throwing caution to the wind, she opened the door and went inside.

At home that night she started the complex procedures of wrapping her purchases. She felt happy about each of them and hummed a Christmas tune under her breath as she taped the brightly colored paper around each gift. It suddenly occurred to her she hadn't gotten anything for Dante. She wondered if she should get him anything, they had only had one date.

Guiltily, she sprang up and dialed his number. He answered on the first ring. "Hi, I wanted to thank you again for dinner the other night, it was fun," she told him sincerely.

"I enjoyed it too. How has your day been today?" His voice seemed to imply something beyond the question.

Alex told him that she and her partner had arrested a kidnapper, leaving out the details, of course. "I took the afternoon off and went Christmas shopping."

"Oh, okay then," he said cryptically. "A colleague of mine is holding a poetry reading tomorrow night, would you like to come with me?"

"Gee, I don't know, Dante, I'm really more of a hot dog at Coney Island kind of girl."

"I promise, if it's too painful, we'll leave and do something else." His voice dropped to an enticing purr.


	4. Deceptions and Angel Food Cake

A/N: The B & C Delivery company is for Miss Mila who brought it to my attention that a lot of the businesses our intrepid two visit on the show are call B & C something; B & C Fast Credit, B & C Brokers, B & C Copier Systems.

Staying with the Russian theme, Bobby is humming the tune from a famous Russian Ballet

I think all of us would have loved more information on Frances Goren prior to her cancer, this is my take.

I have no idea how much Major Case detectives might make but I do know how costly in-patient long-term hospice care is and how little medicare would pay. I have always believed that our detective lives hand-to-mouth because in so many of the episodes you can see his appreciation of other people's hobbies but we never hear about his. I figure suits and books are his major expenses.

Please read, review and enjoy!

*************************************

Chapter 4 Deceptions and Angel Food Cake

The damn thing had arrived shortly after she had left for the day. Bobby leaned back in his chair and studied the outside of the box. Barely an inch tall, it was square, white and tied with a red ribbon. There was a card attached but the envelope was sealed tightly. He sighed.

The captain had told him to take off, too but he didn't have anywhere he wanted to go. Well, that wasn't strictly true. He had a lot of ideas, a great many ideas where he wished he could be. All of them included his partner and some exotic location far from One PP.

He came to a decision to start acting like a cop and cops investigated things. He grabbed his binder and coat and went downstairs to reception.

The female officer working the reception desk was one of the oldest employees on the city payroll. Bobby hesitated trying to think of a strategy.

"Hi Deloris, how's the front line?" He leaned on the desk and gave the woman a disarming smile.

"What do you want, Goren? I'm busy." The woman said with a voice that sounded like she was gargling gravel.

"You just accepted a delivery for my partner, didn't you?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well, this is kind of embarrassing, but……." He pretended to falter.

"Spit it out, Stretch." Deloris guffawed at her own joke.

"Well, Eames doesn't know who it's from." He dropped his voice down to a conspiratorial whisper. "The card isn't signed. You know, she's been dating a couple of guys and well, it could have been from either one of them. She wanted to know if you happened to notice the sender name when you signed the form."

"Why isn't she asking for herself?" Deloris resumed stapling her papers.

"Captain called her in his office." Bobby lied smoothly.

"Let me see it was Dan, Daniel, no Dante. Dante something, that was it."

Bobby nodded silently with his chin thrust out. "What delivery service was that?"

***************************************

He walked into the B and C Delivery company. There was one clerk working behind the desk and ten people waiting in line. He stood off to the side waiting for the employee to finish with his customer. When he had finished, Bobby stepped swiftly in front of the woman who was next. She started to protest, but he flashed his badge behind his back at her as he moved up to the window.

"Hey, you have to wait your turn." The clerk said.

Bobby laid his badge down on the counter. "Kevin, your badge says Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Well Kevin, I need you to look through your requests for a delivery to One Police Plaza for today from a guy with the name Dante."

"Don't you need some kind of warrant?" Said the kid with a cocky attitude, he looked at the other people in line for confirmation.

"Well, we could do that but that means, I'm gonna stand here holding up this line until it gets here." Bobby said loudly for the other customers to hear. There were groans and grumblings heard from the crowd.

Kevin took a minute too long to think about the options. Bobby opened his phone and pretended to call for a warrant. "Yeah, that possible anthrax package, the guy here is giving me grief. I need a warrant and I need a squad car to come and bring the clerk downtown."

"Wait, hold on." Kevin squeaked. "I'll look it up for you now." Here it is, I'll make a copy for you.

Bobby closed his phone, took the copy, smiled at the clerk, thanked the other customers for their patience and left the building whistling the tune to The March of the Sugar Plumb Fairy from The Nutcracker.

A half hour later, he was back from the delivery service plugging the info from the delivery slip into the computer. As he did so, he told himself he was only watching out for his partner's best interest.

Another hour later, he reached back and scratched his neck, a bit flummoxed by the lack of information he had found. One Dante Taylor-Barnes held a New York State driver's license but no car registration. There was no record of a marriage for the guy or a divorce, for that matter. He had no record of any outstanding warrants, not even a traffic ticket, which made sense if he had no car. His name was not listed in any legal or civil actions in the court files for the last ten years. His employee ID for NYU was in order and up to date, the same with his library card. The guy was as clean as a whistle. Bobby didn't like it.

He stared at the guy's picture trying to fathom who Dante Taylor-Barnes was with so little information. NYU had a small bio on him but it was the type of thing written to impress without imparting much information.

What was Eames doing with a Russian Lit professor? She wasn't of Russian ancestry. She had told him told him her family was Welsh and Irish. She didn't speak Russian and had never, as far as he knew, been to the country. He looked Dante's name up on line and came across a couple of books the man had written, about Russia, with a promise from the publisher of another book due out soon. More importantly, how would she have met this guy? They wouldn't exactly have traveled in the same spheres.

He exited the screen and then cleared his browser history for good measure. After all, he worked with a detective, if he wanted to cover his tracks he needed to erase the evidence. The question was, was he done snooping? He rubbed his face in indecision. He hadn't learned anything important, the guy was still as vaporous as ever_. If Eames finds out I was checking the guy out she might not like it. _And that was the understatement of the year. He decided to leave things well enough alone, for now. He would talk to her about it tomorrow, see if he couldn't get her to give him some details.

************************************

He had just put his key in the door of his apartment, when his cell phone rang. It was the special ring tone he had assigned to his mother's hospital.

"Detective Goren?"

"I'm here, is she okay?" Bobby answered, fighting to get his gloves off without dropping the phone. It was one of his mother's nurses, Amy. She was a kindly person who always called before things got out of hand with her patient.

"She had a really good day today but this evening she's starting to get upset like she did last time. I think its because they are putting up the Christmas decorations in the common room and in the hall to her room."

"Yeah, I remember." He told the nurse. He remembered last year, he also remembered all the holidays that led up to the time when he had placed her in the hospital. "Do you think it would be best if I talk to her or should I just come out?"

"You could try talking to her, your going to be here day after tomorrow anyway. I'll hang up and call you back from her room." Amy said and hung up.

Bobby put his coat, gloves and scarf down on the back of couch. No sense putting everything away if he was going to have to leave again. The phone hadn't rang so he went in the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge for the rest of his deli sandwich from the night before. He waited a few seconds before taking a bite to see if the phone would ring but it sat silently on the table next to him. Three bites in and the instrument began to ring.

"Hrrmph"

Amy giggled, "Are you eating?"

"Yeah sorry."

"Here she is."

"Frank, is that you?" Said a commanding voice that was only starting to have a frantic edge.

"Mom, its Bobby. How was your day today?" He spoke as pleasantly and as even toned as possible.

"Those people are at it again, Bobby. I don't know why you refuse to do anything about it!"

"What are they doing, Mom?" He already knew but this was the dance they went through almost every time she became upset.

"They are putting the Christmas decorations up. I keep telling them its too early. I know its not Christmas yet, not even close. Frank hasn't sent me my Birthday card yet so its not Christmas."

"Maybe Frank forgot…"

"You need to come out here and show them your badge and make them take these ridiculous things down!" Her voice was getting shrill.

Bobby dropped the remains of his sandwich in the trash. He should just drive out there. "Mom, remember I got you the pillow with Pooh Bear's face on it for your birthday? It's sitting on your bed. Do you see it?"

"Yeah, its here. I forgot about it." Her voice was softer.

"I think Frank's card got lost in the mail, Mom. You know how bad the mail delivery is these days." She made a small noise. "I'm coming to see you day after tomorrow. I miss you Mom."

"I miss you too, son." He could hear the tears in her voice.

"What do you want me to bring you for a treat?" He knew what her answer would be, it was always the same.

"I want Angel food cake, that's what I like."

"Okay, that's what I'll bring. Can I speak to Amy again?"

Francis Goren did not say good bye but handed the phone over to the nurse.

"I don't know how you do that? I really thought she was gonna get real worked up this time." Amy laughed and Bobby could hear the relief in her voice.

"Lot's of practice." He said with feeling, knowing the nurse didn't know the half of it.

"You are a good son. You deserve a medal or something. See you later."

He let out the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding as he put the phone down. The crisis had been avoided, the hurricane had blown itself out with any damage, this time. Next time it could be different. It had been different in the past. _Don't go there_ he told himself, _don't think about things you can't change._

His eyes wandered around the room in search of distraction, anything to waylay the worry and anxiety that his concern for his mother's condition brought on.

Two of the walls in his living room were covered floor to ceiling with bookshelves, there were more in the hallway and second bedroom. They covered as wide a range of subjects and authors as anyone could imagine. There were books on Chinese calligraphy and cooking with Emeril and lost treasures of the Incas. There were sections on psychology, genealogy, and magic. He had arranged them all, not by the Dewey Decimal System, but by the categories that made the most sense in his mind.

He went unerringly to the book he had been thinking of. It wasn't one written by Dante Taylor-Barnes, but it was a book of Russian history. Specifically, about the House of the last Tsar Nicholas II. He settled himself under the reading lamp set next to his leather recliner and began to read.

The windows of the apartment were covered in frost and the morning light only shone through opaquely. He woke with a start with the book sitting open on his chest. The lamp was still glowing brightly. He didn't sleep with a nightlight, there was no need if you just fell asleep reading. As he got up from the chair, he realized it was freezing in the apartment, the heat had apparently gone out in the building again. Living here was the best he could do. It was close to work, was big enough for all his books and didn't cost the earth. Medicare paid for very little of the care his mother required. A night or two without heat was the price he paid.

The clock said 5am. The idea of climbing in his cold bed did not appeal to him. He thought about Alex, wondering if he would be able to retreat back from the disastrous step of asking her why she had kissed his cheek. It had been an exercise in fatalism. He had known it was a bad idea to ask, but, like buying a lottery ticket, he had told himself nothing ventured, nothing gained. And that was what he had gained, nothing.

He thought about the reading he had done last night. The love and happiness the Romanova family had shared, the illness and madness they had endured and the tragic execution of the Tsar and his family. The wife of Tsar Nicholas was none other than the Tsaritsa Alexandra. Bobby knew this had been the man's opening line with Eames as sure as if he had been there to heard it himself.

He hurried to take a shower and get ready for work. He wanted to make sure he beat Alex to the office, he wanted to make sure he was there when she opened that package.


	5. Squabbles and Salt

A/N: The Garage Restaurant and Cafe is a real place. I've never been there but it sounds like just the sort of place our intrepid two would love to hang out.

Researching why people throw salt over their shoulder turned out to be a tall order. Whether Bobby is warding of evil spirits or throwing salt in the devil's eye, I thought it was something his mother may have taught him to do and make for some comic relief.

The Skirball Center and Anne Carson's Stacks and Bracko are real but I have no way of knowing if it was playing there during this time line.

The cologne I imagine Dante wearing is Carolina Herrera's Collection for Men. In keeping with my belief that Bobby isn't rolling in dough, I though something clean and classic like Drakkar Noir fit his style. My curiosity is insatiable the name means Black Ship.

Everyone has special ringtones for the friends and family. I thought this one was perfect on Alex's phone for Bobby.

************************************************

Chapter 5: Squabbles and Salt

Bobby was talking to Deakins when Alex got off the elevator. She had agreed to meet Dante after work so she had taken care with her appearance. A little make up, a nice blouse and a good hair day, for once.

"Carver wants the two of you in his office this morning to go over the charges and evidence on the Alan Pemberton case," the Captain told them. "Take care of him and then get back here after lunch," he picked up a file off Goren's desk, "these reports aren't going to finish themselves."

Alex exchanged an amused look with Bobby and then noticed the package on her desk. "What's that? It's not my birthday?" She assumed it was from her partner, maybe something to smooth over their rough patch from the day before.

"I don't know? It arrived for you after you left yesterday." Bobby said, rifling through the papers on his desk, not looking at her.

Alex felt a small thrill of anticipation. She opened the envelope and read the enclosed card.

_Alexandra,_

_The Empress Alexandra was fond of wearing a gold cross, she was a woman of strong opinions and beliefs, as are you. I wanted to give you something that you could wear as a symbol of the strengths you have. I know we haven't known each other long but this really is just a small token of the esteem in which I hold you._

_You are in my thoughts,_

_Dante_

Nestled in the cotton of the box was a tiny, elegant cross on a fine gold chain. It was unpretentious and, as she had never been one for gaudy jewelry, it appealed to her.

She glanced over at her partner who was no longer pretending to work, he had his hands folded neatly on his desk, looking at her expectantly. She was at a loss for words. She didn't really want to tell him about Dante but she knew that her bulldog of a partner was probably not going to take silence for an answer.

"It's from a friend." She said guardedly.

"A friend? A new friend? It's a cross. Is your friend a priest?"

"No, don't be ridiculous. I am allowed to make friends, Bobby"

"Oh sure, you know, it happens all the time, making friends who send you flowers, and jewelry." She knew this tone in his voice. He used this tone to distinct advantage in the interrogation room. That particular tone implied that everything she was saying was a lie.

"Don't interrogate me," she said with a warning expression.

"Who's interrogating you?" Bobby looked at her innocently. "You get jewelry today, flowers the other day but you don't see fit to say a word about what's going on with you."

Great, he was laying on the guilt. "Bobby, you don't give me blow by blow descriptions of your dates, no pun intended," she said being deliberately crude. "I haven't made up my mind about this guy, so there is nothing to tell you yet." She thought that sounded reasonable.

"Oh, well you'll be sure to let me know when there's something to tell, right? Cuz, there's just no way you would ever not let me know the minute there was something to tell." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Wait just a goddam minut…."

Bobby had picked up his binder. "Come on, Carver's waiting."

Alex slipped the box into her bag and pushed rudely past her partner. They got in the elevator, both silently staring up at the numbers of the floors as they passed.

"Your being unreasonable." Alex told him.

"And your being secretive, which means you feel you have something to hide."

"Jerk." Alex called him but realized the truth to his statement.

Bobby just nodded and remained silent.

*****************************************

The time spent with Carver was long, boring and uncomfortable.

"Did you two have a falling out?" Mr. Carver asked as they continued to interrupt one another and glare balefully when the other one was speaking.

"No," Alex said.

"Yes," said Bobby at the same time.

Mr. Carver looked at both of them sharply. "This is why I never became a Divorce attorney."

*******************************

Once done at the DA's office, they got back in the SUV with Alex at the wheel.

"This isn't the way back to One PP," Bobby said.

"We are not going back yet, we are going to lunch," said Alex, not taking her eyes from the road. She pulled up at one of their favorite places to eat, the Garage Restaurant and Café. She watched Bobby raise his eyebrows but he made no comment.

She waited until they had gotten a booth and had given their orders before she spoke. "Your right, I'm sorry."

Bobby elegantly waved her apology away with one hand. "I shouldn't have pried." Not revealing, of course, the extent of his prying.

"I met Dante that night after the trial," she looked pointedly at Bobby to make sure he understood which trial she meant. "I went to the Lock Down after I left the courthouse to drown my guilt in Vodka and pretzels. He asked me out and I went." She shrugged to make light of her words. "We are going out again tonight."

"Have you checked him out?" He asked playing with the salt shaker and spilling some on the table.

"You mean is he married like the last two?" Alex laughed.

"Well, you **do **have a track record." Bobby teased her.

"Ha ha," Alex said flatly. "I checked him out in the system, he seems on the up and up." She shrugged. "No tan line, he didn't pay in cash for dinner, he answers his phone when I call."

Her partner nodded, throwing some of the salt over his shoulder, he didn't see it land in the hair of the guy in the booth behind him. Alex laughed and covered it with a cough, putting her hand to her mouth. Whether he meant to or not, Bobby always found a way to make her laugh.

"So what's he like?" Their food had just arrived and Bobby took a bite of his Sirloin burger, the house special.

"He's a professor of Russian Literature, believe it or not. Me, I'm not even sure what Tolstoy wrote let alone having read any of it."

"Anna Karenina and War and Peace."

Alex gave him the look she always gave him when he was being a know-it-all. "I suppose you've read them?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Alex gave an exasperated sigh. "He's interested in the Last Tsar Nicholas something and his wife."

"It was a fascinating time in Russian history. Did you know that Rasput…"

"Please, I will get enough of that tonight, believe me." Alex laughed and tucked into her Sirloin Salad.

They passed the rest of lunch in pleasant conversation but there was still an element of strain between them. She did her best to be nice and Bobby was trying his hardest to make her laugh. Alex wondered why their friendship seemed so hard to maintain these days.

**********************************************

Six pm and quitting time rolled around eventually. It was Friday night and everyone who wasn't scheduled to stay was evacuating the building. They had made a large dent in the paperwork littering their desks.

"You going to see your Mom tomorrow?" Alex asked, knowing he went every Saturday.

"Yeah, she had a tough time this week."

"Tell her Hi for me." Alex grabbed her bag and coat and waved good bye to him.

On the way down in the elevator, she took the small gold chain and fastened it around her neck.

*************************************************

"It would have been nice if you would have told me we were coming to the Skirball Center. I feel hopelessly underdressed." Alex chided her date.

"Nonsense, you look absolutely perfect. I have to admit, when Anne invited me, I wasn't aware it was quite such a big deal. We have been friends since college but except for teaching at the same University our interests and our careers have gone in different directions." Dante took hold of her elbow and escorted them to their seats.

"Well, this must be a big deal, even I've heard about this production. My sister has been talking my ear off about wanting to go. She's going to hit the roof when I tell her about this." Alex smiled brightly, not aware of the effect it had on her companion.

Dante reached forward to touch the cross nestled in the hollow of her throat. "I'm so glad you chose to wear it."

"Yes, thank you," Alex reached up to touch the object, her fingers meeting with his. "It's a lovely gift."

The performance they were to see was _Anne Carson's Stacks and Bracko_. The dancing was entertaining and although Alex didn't always understand the exact meaning of each piece, she was greatly moved by the clear emotions that both the poetry and the dance wove together. At the end of the evening, she joined everyone else as they leapt to their feet in thunderous applause.

"Are you hungry?" Dante asked, turning to see why she had slowed down. They were walking away from the Performance Hall and Alex had stopped to take her phone out of her purse. "What are you doing?"

"I'm texting my sister, she's going to be so jealous." Alex said mischievously. Dante laughed and waited for her to be done. "I'm not really very hungry. I had a big lunch with my partner today."

"You've never said very much about him, what's he like? Should I be jealous?" He asked taking her hand in his.

_Had they progressed to the holding hands stage? _Alex wondered but she left her hand in his. "Who Bobby? He's methodical but in a unconventional way. We work well as a team, our skills compliment each other."

"He's a lucky guy, getting to spend every day with you." Dante said rubbing his thumb across the tips of her fingers which caused her to shiver slightly.

"Actually, I think, I'm the lucky one. He really is an amazing detective. He's so loyal both to his family and to me. I trust him with my life." _So why don't I trust him with my heart?_

Alex didn't notice the sharp look that crossed her date's features. He stopped under the awning of an appliance repair shop and pulled Alex into his embrace. "Well, I feel lucky to have you here with me tonight."

His lips touched lightly on hers and Alex's senses came alive. She could smell his aftershave, it was woodsy with oriental notes, different from the fresh clean scent of citrus and sandalwood that her partner wore. His mouth was more demanding this time. She felt his tongue brush her lips seeking an invitation from her. She opened her mouth to him. He groaned and pulled her tighter to him.

Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. It was fine and silky. She wound one finger around a curl, her mind immediately thinking of what another set of curls might feel like under her fingertips. She gasped and pulled away. _Why am I thinking of Bobby at a time like this?_

When she pulled her mouth from his, Dante had allowed his lips to move to her ear, placing small kisses along her jaw line. "Alexandra, let's go to my place, please."

She felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head. She wasn't ready to carry things that far yet. She wasn't even sure she wanted to carry things that far at all. Her cell started to play Lou Bega's - Mambo Number Five, it was her ring tone for Bobby. She had chosen it as a joke after watching him dance the mambo while they were investigating Marion Whitney for murdering her husband.

"Bobby, what's up?" Alex answered the call, stepping away from Dante. They spoke for a few minutes while Dante busied himself reading the signs in the shop window.

"We've been called to a case. I have to go." She told Dante after she hung up.

"I could go with you and watch you work. Maybe it won't take that long?" Dante said hopefully.

Alex chuckled softly. "I'm afraid processing a murder scene takes a lot of time. She reached forward and touched his cheek. "You would be grossed out and bored."

"I want to see you again." He said earnestly, capturing her hand as it lay against his face.

Alex nodded silently. "I think that can be arranged."

*********************************************

Alex arrived at the subway station where the body of Aiden Grant had been flattened by a suspiciously mobile snack machine. Her partner was already bent over the body when she arrived.

Bobby looked her over when she walked up. "Sorry if I disrupted your evening."

Alex waved his concern away. She looked back up the flight of stairs the victim had been on. "If he had been going up the stairs he would have seen the machine, he was coming down." She said logically.

Bobby was busy cataloguing the items in the man's pockets. Alex found the phone number to a girl the victim knew in his pants pocket. "Got a cell phone number for Gisella, girl's love a handy man."

Bobby nodded, they spent the next hour and half conferring with the CSI team and directing the handling of the crime scene. It was three in the morning before she got to bed. She and Bobby had agreed to go interview the girl in the morning before he left for Carmel Ridge. He planned to spend a couple of hours with his mom and then back to the case. Murder never allowed for clear cut days off.


	6. Memories and Margaritas

A/N: I'm still exploring Frances Goren, On the show, they always portray her as such a shrew. I have always though that she must have some redeeming qualities and that there must be times when she gives the love and concern that our hero deserves. This is my take.

The Panchito's Mexican Restaurant is a real restaurant and since Mexican Food and Margaritas are two of my favorites, I wanted to take Bobby there.

Bobby's expertise on Tequila comes from Wikipedia and my own personal experience.

Please read, review and enjoy!

*************************************

Chapter 6: Memories and Margaritas

Bobby groaned as the alarm went off at seven. Alex had agreed to swing by and pick him up before they went to interview the woman whose number they had found in the dead man's pocket. He had just gotten out of shower and had only gotten his pants on when he heard the knock at the door.

"Hey, your early." He said to her as he let her in. "Let me finish getting dressed." He noticed her staring at his chest and quickly shrugged his way into his undershirt.

"Yeah, well if I had known about the floor show, I would have gotten here sooner." Joking about his state of undress.

"We need to stop and get something to eat, I'm starved." He called out to her from his bedroom.

"I got it covered. I stopped at your corner diner and got egg sandwiches to go, they're in the car."

Bobby stuck his head out of the bedroom door as he was tying his tie and whistled. "What time did you get **up** this morning?"

"I got your favorite and orange juice for you, grapefruit for me." She told him, not responding to his question.

Bobby finished with his tie and was putting on his shoes. He had noticed the circles under her eyes, he was quite sure she hadn't gotten any sleep after they had finished with the crime scene.

They went downstairs to the car. "Do you want me to drive?" Bobby offered since he knew she was tired.

"I'm not so tired that I'm suicidal, Goren." She quipped climbing into the driver's seat.

"One little close call that wasn't even my fault and I'm branded for life." He remarked back at her as he hooked his seatbelt.

"Oh Alex, look at the cornerstone on that building, did you know that building was built in blah, blah, blah, in the meantime, those poor pedestrians were running for their lives." She teased him but her grin took the sting out of her words.

They arrived at the woman's house and began to question her. A look from Alex sent him out of the room. Once on the porch, Bobby noticed a planter that had been moved. Standing on top of it in this position made it easy to see inside the house. He also found an interesting series of knots tied in a string that appeared to have been dropped by whoever had been playing at peeping tom.

They went and interviewed Aiden's family and a few friends but no one had any information that was helpful. They would have to interview the employees of We Be Cool on Monday, the office where the party was held and where Aiden had worked.

*******************************************

After Alex dropped him off, Bobby got his car and started the long drive to Carmel Ridge. He was playing the details of the case over in his mind but they kept warring with his memories of his lunch with Alex the day before.

He had thought she would stay mad at him for pushing her about who sent her the gift but she had surprised him by not only apologizing to him but by telling him all about it. Her apology had made him feel like a schmuck for not admitting to his snooping.

It bothered him to no end that she had been sad and upset after the trial and he had left her alone and vulnerable. He had asked her if she had checked the guy out and she admitted she had. The last two guys she had dated had both turned out to be married players just out for a good time. The last one wouldn't leave her alone even after she had found him out. Alex wasn't aware of it, but Bobby had tailed the guy for a few nights, snapped some compromising photos and mailed them to the guy's wife. The last he had checked they were in divorce court where the lawyer who Bobby had recommended in his letter was in the process of stripping the philandering husband clean of all his assets.

The one thing he hadn't heard in Alex's voice as she talked about this guy was any real interest. She wasn't interested in the man's favorite subject and she didn't mention any other common ground they had discovered they shared. _So why had she been wearing the necklace when she arrived at the crime scene last night?_

In his distraction, he almost missed his exit. Maybe, Alex was right about his driving as he heard the horns honking from the other drivers.

*****************************************

"Hey, Mom, how are you feeling today?"

"Like crap, Bobby, like crap." Frances Goren said. "I hate being here," she looked directly at her son, "I understand it, but I hate it."

"I know you do, Mom. Its chilly out but there's no wind. Do you want to go out and take a walk?" He offered, glad that she seemed coherent and more herself today. He helped her on with her coat and a pair of warm low heeled boots. He handed over her winter hat to put on. She reached up and kissed him soundly on the cheek as he wound her scarf around her neck.

"I am really glad you're here, baby." She said taking his arm as they walked down the road away from the hospital. The area surrounding the facility was nestled in the upstate mountains. It was too bad that his mother was rarely calm enough to come out like this with him.

"You let me know when you get tired, okay?" They strolled along a stream bed listening to the water chortle rapidly over the rocks. They saw a rabbit hop out briefly, sniff the air and disappear under the brush.

"Do you remember being at the Library with me while I was working?" He mother stopped and rested her arms on the top of the footbridge they were crossing.

"Yeah, I do. I was pretty young then but I was always so proud of you. You always knew where everything was, no matter what."

"I still do in my head, go ahead, ask me any title, any author." His mother grinned.

Bobby threw up his hands in mock defense. "I believe you, Ma, I believe you."

"I never took Frank there, I couldn't have counted on him to behave. He would have gotten me fired. I had old lady Mertz watch him after school." She breathed deep and tilted her head toward the sun. "But I could always count on you to sit still and behave. Of course, I couldn't count on you to stay away from the books that you were too young to be reading!"

Bobby laughed, a genuine laugh, it had been a very long time since he had laughed with his mother. "I can't help being curious. It's how I get paid now."

"I don't like you doing something so dangerous, why couldn't you have gone into teaching, you're a good teacher, Bobby."

"Teaching's great if someone **wants** to learn, I have no desire to try to force knowledge into the heads of those who could care less." He leaned down to capture his mother's gaze. "I'm good at my job, I like it and I have a good partner. I'm happy."

"Tsk, all the people you spend time with are criminals, you're never going to meet a nice girl and give me grandchildren hanging out with crooks all the time."

They walked again in silence, enjoying the day. "Frank called me yesterday." Frances Goren said, out of the blue.

"He did?" Bobby asked warily. Who knew, it might be true.

"We talked on the phone, he said work was going well and that Susan and him were talking about getting married in the spring."

"That's good." He said, realizing his mother had slipped into the past and was recalling events from nine years ago.

"That's all you have to say?" She looked at him, studying his face as if she wasn't' quite sure she knew who he was.

"Are you getting tired, Mom? Maybe we should start back." He took her hand gently and placed it in the crook of his arm. "Can you tell me how the story of Anna Karenina goes again."

"You always did like that story, didn't you? It begins: _All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." _Frances Goren's storytelling voice began to weave her magic as the two figures made their way back up the road to Carmel Ridge Hospital.

**********************************************************

The following week passed quickly. He and Alex had made progress on the murder of Aiden Grant but were being held up by the doctor/patient privilege of Dr. Kate Pynchon and Robbie Boatman.

It was only a week until Christmas when they were able to set up their trick to maneuver Dr. Pynchon into confessing to the torture she had subjected Robbie Boatman to and her role in the subsequent cover up of the murder of Aiden Grant. This wasn't one of those cases that felt good at the end, everyone involved had been a decent person trying to make the right choices, trying to make sense of their world.

"I'm starving, do you want to grab a bite to eat?" Alex asked, once they had finished writing up their reports.

Bobby was surprised. While lunches and even breakfasts were meals they often shared, dinner, especially when they were free from their case, was not.

"Uh, yeah, okay," He answered nervously, wondering why she was asking him to dinner.

"After this case, I think its finally time I make you buy me that margarita."

"Oh, well we can do that." He brightened.

They arrived at Panchito's Mexican Restaurant and could hear the mariachi band when they opened the door.

They took a table far from the band. Bobby ordered a pitcher of margaritas.

"So, have you been here before?" Alex asked. He nodded. Alex huffed. "One of these days I will find a restaurant or café in the city you haven't been to yet."

Bobby smiled. "I like to explore, find new places." The pitcher arrived and they both sipped their drinks.

"I have this vision of you out prowling the city at night when you should be sleeping." She stirred her drink to melt the ice faster.

"Sometimes," he shrugged. He could sense something different with her. A nervousness or restlessness. "What's going on, Eames?"

"Nothing, can't a girl ask her partner out after a tough case?" She shook her head. "Okay, the truth? This one bugged me. Maybe it was cuz it's so close to Christmas, you know 'God rest ye merry gentlemen may nothing you dismay.' How can one person treat another like that?"

She downed her glass and poured another. He noticed that her hand was not completely steady. The waiter came and took their dinner order. The band had switched to Feliz Navidad. Alex giggled.

He realized now, she wanted something that felt normal, that felt right to counteract the horrors they had listened to and speculated about during this case. He had to wonder why she hadn't just called the Professor guy.

"Okay, did you know that tequila is made from the blue agave plant which is grown in the volcanic soil that surrounds the city of Tequila in Mexico?"

Alex shook her head and tucked into her enchilada that had just arrived. "Here in the States, you shoot tequila with salt and lime but when I was stationed in Germany, they shoot it with cinnamon and slices of orange." Alex wrinkled her nose. Bobby began to build his Fajitas that had arrived sizzling at the table.

For the rest of dinner, he kept her laughing with stories and anecdotes about the liquor. "And National Tequila Day is July 24th so, next year we can always see if Deakins is game to give us our new favorite holiday off."

The waiter brought the check and Bobby grabbed it from her. "Hey, it was my invitation." She said leaning against him trying to capture the paper in his grasp.

"You only had to tell me you needed a friend tonight." He said softly, still holding the check out of her grasp. Her face was upturned to his, a teasing grin was on her lips, the soft lighting danced in her eyes.

"Thank you, Bobby. That was exactly what I needed." She laid her head against his shoulder and he allowed his arm to come around her in a small embrace. He could smell the scent of her shampoo.

"Anytime."

*************************************

They reached the parking lot and Bobby insisted on the keys. "I only had one, the rest of the pitcher went into your glass."

"How do I get my car back then, Goren?" She stepped up to playfully try to intimidate him.

"I drive you home, then come and pick you up in the morning." He said simply, opening the passenger door for her.

Bobby glanced over at her, once they were on the road. She seemed happier and less keyed up. Well, tequila will do that to a person. He also knew what it did to you by morning.

"So, how do you know so much about tequila, did you do a stint as a bartender somewhere?" Alex turned in her seat so she was fully facing him.

"Uh, no. I dated a girl whose family owned a private label distillery."

"And you didn't marry her?" She had stepped out of her shoes and used one toe to nudge his leg.

"No, now if they had owned a Scotch Whiskey distillery, there would now be a ring on my finger."

"That's not funny, Bobby." She said suddenly. Her buzz was beginning to wear off.

He pulled the car into her driveway and put it in park. "There you go, safe and sound." He detached her house key from the ring and got out to see her safe inside.

They climbed the steps to the porch. The wind chime was tinkling in the slight breeze. Alex was silent as she put the key in the lock. Bobby caught her arm just as she was going to slip through the door. He put a hand to her chin to raise her face to him. He could see the glisten of tears in her eyes.

"Hey, what's this? Its all okay." He whispered as if to a child.

"The trial," she began but her voice broke. She swallowed. "I didn't mean to do anything to hurt you, Bobby."

He chuckled richly and pulled her into his embrace. "I told you not to worry about that. I was proud of you. You did fine and I am so grateful you did decided to stay." He felt some of the tension leave her body. _God, this was so dangerous! _Her arms were around his waist. His chin was resting on the top of her head and he wanted nothing more than to lower his mouth to her ear and tell her everything he longed to do to her. _This is your partner, Goren. _With great restrain he pulled away from her.

"Go inside, drink a big glass of water and I will see you in the morning." He told her.

"Why don't you come in? For coffee, I mean." Alex held the door open wider for him.

He stood on the threshold, sorely temped to walk into the house with her. "Why didn't you meet up with Dante tonight, Alex?"

"What kind of question is that?" She asked in return.

"An honest one."

"I'm going out to dinner with him tomorrow."

Bobby felt like someone had dumped a pitcher of Margaritas over his head. "Well, I hope the two of you have a wonderful time," his voice was full of sarcasm. "Maybe he'll dedicate his next book to you?"

Alex looked contrite and then the full meaning of his words hit her. "You checked him out didn't you? You son of bitch, what gives you the right to pry into my life!"

"I had every right!" He bellowed back at her. He turned on his heel and marched back to the car.

"Goren! Goren come back here!" Alex yelled from the porch. Somewhere a dog began to bark.


	7. Champagne and a Gun

A/N: Alex's dress I found on the Neiman Marcus website, look it up. Its gorgeous!

Esca is a real restaurant but I've never been there either. The menu sounds like heaven though.

Please read, review and enjoy!

************************************

Chapter 7: Champagne and a Gun

Alex awoke the next morning with a dry throat and pounding head. She got up and drank a glass of water and swallowed down a couple of aspirin. She glanced out of the kitchen window and did a double take when she noticed her car was sitting in the driveway. She shrugged into her robe and went out to the car. It was locked up tight with a note under one wiper that said the keys were in the obvious place. The note was in Bobby's handwriting.

Alex swore under her breath, long and with feeling. The obvious place, where was that? She found them under her front porch mat. She swore again and went in to make coffee. After several cups, a bagel and a shower, she was ready for work. She was going to be late but she would be there.

Deakins called her as she was headed out the door. Bobby had asked for the day off and since they had just finished up such a nasty case, he told her to take the day off too. "You know how this City is, we may all end up working on Christmas, so enjoy yourself today." Deakins had told her. He was right, Christmas was only four days away. She sat down at her kitchen table with the last of the coffee from the pot and thought about what had happened last night.

She sighed deeply when she analyzed the evening and realized that she had not only asked her partner out to dinner but had proceeded to have too much to drink, forcing him to bring her home. She had even had the audacity to ask him in. She groaned out loud and laid her head on the table. Bobby had been sweet and a perfect gentleman. She wished he hadn't behaved so well. Alex banged her head once on the table and her coffee sloshed over the side of the cup.

Why had she yelled at him for checking Dante out? It had been such a normal, human thing for Bobby to do, given the fact that she had been keeping him in the dark. It showed he cared, didn't it? Did it show that he was jealous? Alex got a paper towel and cleaned up her mess.

_I can't go on like this. My feelings for him color everything I say to him. They seep into everything we do, now. _She sat in her kitchen listening to the clock tick and decided on a course of action. By that evening she was ready.

****************************************************

Alex checked her reflection in the hall mirror as she went to the door to let Dante in. She was wearing her new Jean Paul Gaultier dress. It was by far the sexiest thing she had ever owned, except for maybe the leather mini she had worn for good luck during her days in vice. The dress was black with patches of fishnet strategically placed at the sleeves and up the side panels. She had stockings to match with sheer panels running up the front of the legs. Alex had chosen a pair of wine colored strappy heels to complete the outfit. Her hair was swept up off her face by a small gold clip. She knew she looked good. She also knew she was wasting it on the wrong man.

"You look amazing." Dante told her when she opened the door. He looked good too in a dark suit with a white shirt and burgundy tie. They were dining at Esca and Dante had hired a car for the evening. He held the door for Alex as she slipped into the dark sedan. Their reservations were for 8pm and the place was full to capacity with New Yorkers enjoying the holiday season with good wine and good food.

"That is the most dangerous dress I've ever seen." Dante purred in her ear as he held her chair at the table. Alex blushed, knowing what else he was probably thinking. This was the infamous third date. The date after which men might expect to get something and the date by which most women have made up the their minds whether to continue the relationship or not.

Dante ordered a bottle of champagne. Alex took a sip but had no intention of drinking anymore than a glass tonight as her stomach was still remembering the tequila. They ordered their appetizers and made small talk about the food and lack of snowfall this winter season. Dante reached across the table to capture her hand. There didn't seem any harm in allowing him to hold it, so she didn't protest.

"You look like an Empress tonight, Alex."

"You told me I looked like a princess, Dante." Said a woman who had just walked up to their table. Alex pulled her hand away and stared at the woman and then at Dante.

"Anastasia?" Alex could hear the man's voice crack. "What are you doing here?"

Alex let her detective skills take over. The woman was about her height and size but several years younger. She had long dark hair set in soft ringlets. She was dressed plainly. Her face was pale and her eyes seemed slightly unfocused. She was also wearing a small diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand.

"I followed you. I knew what you were doing." The woman said with a pout.

"Listen, I should really leave the two of you alone to talk," Alex said rising from her chair.

"No, I want you to stay and hear what I have to say." The woman was now pointing a very large gun straight at Alex's nose. She sank back into her chair, her heart sinking into her shoes.

Dante had risen to his feet, as well, and then the gun swung in his direction. He followed Alex's example and resumed his seat. The other diners were just beginning to realize there was a person brandishing a gun in their midst. The ones closest to the doors were inching their way out.

"Anastasia?" Alex asked, hoping it wouldn't be the last thing she ever did.

"That's not my name," the woman said, "it's just something he decided to call me." She pointed toward Dante with the gun. "I'm Allison."

"Oh, Allison. I'm sorry to have to meet you like this." Alex began. Allison had turned her attention back to Dante. "Allison, I think the other diners are wondering if its okay for them to go."

"Oh, sure," she said with another flip of the gun. Alex motioned to a nearby waiter to begin clearing out the room. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she had eliminated a great many possible hostages.

"Alex?" Dante looked at her questioningly.

"So how long have you two been engaged?" Alex asked him coldly, knowing her only hope now was to get Allison to believe she was on her side.

Dante said nothing and stared at his plate. "Dante asked me to marry him last Christmas." Allison informed her.

"I didn't know, Allison but I realize I should have guessed, he's such a great catch and all." Alex said pleasantly.

"He's a rat! The woman yelled. "Your not the first one I've caught him with."

"Oh really, tell me?" Alex asked invitingly. "Does he saddle us all with these ridiculous Russian names?

"Oh, you know it," Allison said warming to her subject. "The last one was Natasha."

Alex spared a contemptuous glare for Dante but he kept his eyes focused on his plate.

"He really does sound like a rat." Alex had worked her hand into her purse under the tablecloth her fingers were now around her cell phone. "I had no idea," trying to imply that Allison had saved her. She pushed the speed dial button for Bobby's cell.

"He won't stop cheating." Allison looked at Dante and shook her head.

"Why don't you put down the gun and we'll talk about it? I think you and I probably have a lot in common, Allison."

"No, you'll just run away." She motioned to Alex. Alex felt her confidence in the situation slip a notch at Allison's words. It sounded like she was Allison's scapegoat. She was going to have to be very careful.

"Have you planned your wedding yet, Allison?" She asked with enthusiasm. "Are you having it at St. Nicholas's on Tenth Street?" She hoped fervently that Bobby was listening. She knew the cops should be on their way but Bobby was one of the best negotiators she had ever worked with. If she wanted to get out of this alive, she needed all the help she could get.

"Oh, you should see the dress!" Allison said cheerfully, she almost set the gun down on the table but then thought better of it.

"What does it look like?" Dante groaned and both women looked at him with matching expressions of disgusted.

"It has the traditional long train of the most beautiful lace." Alex could hear the siren's outside the restaurant, she could only hope that Allison was too wrapped up in her dress description to realize the sirens were for her.

"What are your colors going to be?" Alex asked madly, feeling like this time, it was she who had fallen down the rabbit hole.

"Claret red and topaz. The bridesmaids will be in the red with a topaz sash and the groomsmen will have the red ties with the cummerbunds in the topaz.

Alex felt her stomach hitch a little, she didn't know whether it was in response to the situation or the awful color scheme the woman had described.

"It sounds beautiful. You know, I'll bet that Dante realizes you mean business about him not cheating anymore. It sounds like he really loves you and you're going to have a beautiful wedding." Allison's face softened until she heard the rude snort from Dante.

_Jeez, the guy is a complete idiot. _Alex decided to change tactics. "I think you could be happy with him but have you ever noticed how he chews his food?"

Allison had been studying Dante but her head snapped around at Alex's words.

"We've talked about that." The woman simpered.

"He makes this slurping noise when he swallows." Alex pretended to shiver. Both of them were looking at her now with displeasure. _Oh boy, I hope I know what I'm doing? _"Then there are all those dumb Russian stories." Alex rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you can listen to that stuff, Allison."

"His work is very important and it's very interesting." Allison said indignantly.

"Thank you, Allison." Dante said staring daggers at Alex.

"Oh, Dante. I've always cared about your work." Allison leaned over to kiss her fiancé and Alex launched herself across the table at the gun.

She struggled with Allison and then realized that Dante was fighting her off as well. _How did I get myself into this? _Suddenly, she felt a strong hand join hers in her struggle for the weapon. At the same time, four uniform cops grabbed Dante and Allison and hauled them away, leaving Alex sitting on top of the collapsed table, broken glass and china strewn about, with her skirt hitched up around her hips. She was staring up into the amused eyes of her partner.

"He wasn't married yet!" Alex said defensively.


	8. Sugar Plums and Ice cubes

A/N**: WARNING THIS IS A SMUTTY CHAPTER FOLKS. GOOD FOR ME BAD FOR YOU IF YOU DONT LIKE THIS SORT OF THING!!!!**

Aw, come on folks, you never really like Dante anyway, did you?

I think I have an ice pack fetish. This is the 3rd story I've written lately where therapeutic applications of ice have been necessary.

"Essere paziente mio il più caro means: Be patient my dearest, in Italian. At least according to free translation . Com.

Bien-aimé means: Sweetheart, in French. Again according to same web site. I have no idea what all languages Bobby speaks but I am partial to the romance languages. I used to swoon along with Gomez Addams anytime Morticia spoke French. For those who don't know, that's a very old black and white TV show and probably my very first exposure to how much a man might adore the woman he loves. Sigh, lol.

***************************************

Chapter 8: Sugar Plums and Ice cubes

Bobby was sitting at his desk leaning back with his fingers laced behind his head. Deakins and Det. Reynolds were busy taking Alex's statement. Dante Taylor-Barnes had just entered the squad room from his stint in interrogation. He took a few steps toward Alex but stopped at the scathing look she gave him. He turned and walked toward the elevators.

Mike Logan had followed the man out. He came and sat down on the corner of Bobby's desk. "I couldn't hold him." Bobby raised an eyebrow at that. "Believe me, I came at him with both barrels, if he had filched lunch money in the second grade, he would have told me. He didn't do anything criminal."

"Except put my partner in the middle of a hostage situation."

"The guy was a coward and cheat but he didn't know the fiancé had a gun. He swore he was in love with Alex and was planning on breaking up with the Allison chick."

"Thanks Mike," Bobby clapped him on the back.

"Now, if you will all excuse me, I had visions of sugarplums dancing in my head when the captain called, I'd like to go home and see if they're still there." Mike ambled off toward the elevators.

***********************************

Bobby had been out tonight in the stores hunting down the Christmas presents on his list when his cell phone rang. He had been so angry at Alex the night before that he had called a cab last night and left the keys to her car under the front door mat. He hadn't wanted to see her this morning and when her call had come in, he had almost let it go to message. Holding the phone to his ear he could just make out the conversation in the background. He heard Alex's voice say something about putting the gun down and then they were discussing weddings.

He had flashed his badge at the clerk in the store and made a signal for a telephone. He had put the store phone to his other ear and dialed Deakin's cell.

"Captain, I got a call from Alex, she is talking to someone about putting a gun down. I think she's in trouble."

"We just got a call that some woman is holding a couple hostage with a gun in Esca. The table they are sitting at is under the name of Taylor-Barnes. Does that ring any bells?"

"That's the guy Alex has been dating. That restaurant, it's 10th and 43rd right?"

"Yeah, meet you there."

When he arrived, he found the cops on scene had already slipped a camera in so they could see what was happening. Bobby could see that if he came in through the front, the woman with the gun wouldn't be able to see him but then neither could Alex. He had just stepped into the room when he saw the woman's guard go down and watched as his partner launched herself at the gun. A few running steps and a shout to the uniforms brought the situation to a close.

Alex was sitting in the middle of the rubble, in the most incredible outfit he had ever seen her wear, with a cheeky grin on her face, protesting that the sniveling idiot the cops were supporting by his elbows, wasn't married yet.

His heart gave a wrench but he couldn't help matching her grin and offering her a hand up from the floor.

Now, here he was sitting at his desk. He could go home, there was no reason to stay. Deakins could send Alex home in a squad car. _Why was he waiting for her? _He knew the answer and it didn't make him feel any better.

"Would you look at this, the sleeve is ruined!" Alex cried as she felt around behind her arm at the seam that had pulled loose on her dress. She clucked at it trying to feel how big the tear was.

"It's not that bad." Bobby said taking pity on her.

"My stockings are ruined too. Do you know how much I paid for them?"

"Uh, no. Come on, let me take you home."

Once in the elevator, he took his jacket off and draped it around her shoulders. If she'd had a coat, it was probably back at the restaurant.

"God, this night did not turn out like I planned." She was limping slightly on one ankle and Bobby was forced to put an arm around her.

With a sense of Déjà vu, Bobby opened the door to his car and set her carefully inside. They drove silently toward her house, the only sound was an occasional sigh from his partner. Once at the house, he came around and opened the car door for her. The first snowfall of the season was starting and massive feathery flakes were lazily beginning to fall.

"Crap." Alex exclaimed. "I left my purse at the station."

"Do you have a key hidden somewhere?"

She looked at him indignantly, "I'm a cop! I don't leave keys hidden around. Or under the mat for that matter." She said pointedly. "Come on, we can pry open the second bedroom window if you'll give me a boost."

"I can't believe you don't have a ladder." Bobby huffed trying to hold her still as she sat on his shoulder attempting to jimmy the lock on the window.

"I do have a ladder, its down in the basement where it belongs. I don't leave ladders lying around where people can use them to reach my windows and undo my locks. I got it!" She raised the sash and climbed head first through the window. Bobby was sorry it was dark as he would have had an interesting view up her skirt.

He stood in the snow listening to an alarming amount of noise coming from the inside of the house. He made his way to the front porch just as the light came on and the door opened.

"Well, take care of yourself and get that lock fixed tomorrow." He said turning to leave.

"Oh no you don't," Alex caught him by the sleeve and hauled him through the door. "Ouch," said as she came down on her injured ankle.

"Here let's get you some ice." He made his way into the kitchen and watched her hobble down the hall to the living room. She was stretched out on the couch still wearing his jacket when he came back with a handful of ice cubes folded up in a towel. She had one hand pressed to her forehead, her eyes were closed and a pained expression played across her face. He picked up her feet and sat down putting both her feet in his lap and applied the ice pack to her ankle.

"I meant what I said about this night not turning out like I had planned." She said keeping her hand in the same place and still not opening her eyes.

Bobby nodded but didn't say anything. He could only imagine the romantic evening that she and the dumb professor had planned. When he finally glanced at her face she had both eyes open staring at him.

"Don't you even want to know what I had planned?"

"Um, you know, I really don't. I think I'm just gonna go." She arched her back slightly, increasing the pressure of her feet in his lap to keep him from getting up.

"I've had a hard night, Bobby. Don't make this any harder on me than it has to be." She scrambled up onto her knees on the couch, dislodging his hold on the ice pack. Bobby could hear the cubes of ice tinkle and break as they hit the hardwood floor. With a twist of her body she was now sitting across his lap. He would have to dump her to the floor if he wanted to stand up.

"Yes, I went out to dinner with Dante tonight but it was to tell him goodbye. I had already left my credit card with the maitre d' to pay for dinner." Bobby did not look at her, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Alex looped her arms around his neck. "I was going to leave the restaurant and show up at your apartment." She paused but he continued to look away. "In this dress."

Almost against his will, he felt his head swivel around to her face. Her expression was one of anxiety and hope mixed together. She was biting her bottom lip. _Was she saying what he thought she was saying?_

"I uh, I know you're my partner and that is very important to me but…" she trailed off looking for some confirmation in his eyes. "Bobby do you care at all about me?"

His mouth descended on hers in an instant as his hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her roughly to him. He knew how much he wanted this but was surprised by the response he felt in her. Her hands came up and tangled themselves in his hair. He groaned into her mouth. He felt as if a floodgate, that had been stuck for years, was finally opened. His hands roamed up to her face, caressing her cheek, touching the sides of her lips even as they were covered by his own.

They both broke away for air. "I tried Bobby, I really tried to just be your partner." He could feel her hands working at his tie. He allowed a hand to slip under his jacket and come to rest on the side of her breast. He shook his head at her words, nothing mattered but this. He lips found hers again, his tongue delving into her mouth, matching her stroke for stroke. He heard her groan her frustrations at his tie and helped her to get it loose. She managed to undo a few buttons and then ripped the rest on them off in her haste.

He stood up with her in his arms and set her on her feet. She gave a squeal as her shoe came down on one of the ice cubes. Bobby pulled the jacket from her and set it on the couch. "You know, Alex, this really is a hell of a dress." He said circling her slowly and pulling her into his embrace from behind. His mouth was level with her ear. "As incredible as it looks on you, I can't wait to see you with it off." He heard her exhale in a jagged breath. She lifted her arms to reach him behind her. He snaked one arm around her waist as the other hand maneuvered the clasp on the dress. His lips then followed the zipper's path as it came down.

"Oh God, Bobby." She spun in his grasp and began to pull at the sleeves of his shirt. Once that garment was gone, she stepped close to him, studying him. He was on fire to touch her again but held back. This was her night too. She let her fingers trail over his chest and the light sprinkling of downy hair there. She laid her lips on his breastbone and placed a small kiss there while allowing the palms of her hands to rest on his nipples. His breath was becoming short. He captured her hands and raised them over her head. With a languidness that belied his ardor, he slowly peeled the dress from her body. He sucked in his breath at what lay underneath.

Standing before him, she was wearing a matching pair of bra and panties. They were the same wine color as her shoes. She looked like a tiny Amazon who was bent on seduction. She smiled up at him shyly. "I told you I had plans."

"Remind me to let you plan everything from now on." He said thickly and lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his body and he could feel the heels of those amazing shoes scratch lightly at his back.

"He made his way unerringly to her bedroom, turning the light on as he came in the room. Alex was exploring his neck with her mouth. "Turn it off, it's too bright."

"Too bad, I want to see every inch of you, taste every inch of you."

"That goes for me, as well." He had set her down on the edge of the bed and her hands had flown to the belt buckle that now stood in her way. She then got his button loose and was slowly pulling at the zipper.

Bobby suffered an ancient dilemma. Should he continue to let her hands do the incredible things he knew she would do to him once he was undressed and let the evening come to an incredibly short end or should he stop her? His brain was working too slowly and he could feel the cool air of the room rush around him as she pulled both his pants and underwear down at the same time. He could feel her cool palms touching him intimately and then the steaming hot contrast of her lips and tongue as they began to move over his flesh.

With a Herculean effort, he pushed her backward and she made a noise like someone had just taken her favorite toy away. He held his weight off of her with one arm as his other hand found the delightful catch of her bra hidden under the small rose' of lace between her breasts. He felt her suck her breath in as the chill air tightened her nipples. "My God, Alex, you are so beautiful." He murmured capturing one breast and then the other with his palm. She squirmed under him trying to move his body where she could feel him pressing against her. Her fingers were making lazy circles on the bare skin of his back. "God, I want you now Bobby, please?" Those same hands were now trying to quest farther down his body.

A devious grin sprang up on his face. This wasn't his first time around the block. "Essere paziente mio il più caro" He said, unaware he hadn't answer in English.

He pinned both of her hands over her head and looped a leg in between hers, thrusting them apart. He looked in her face and was gratified to see it filled with her passion. Her eyes were half-lidded, her mouth slightly parted, her tongue searched achingly over her own lips. The enticement of that tongue caused him to momentarily lose sight of his goal. He seized her mouth again and kissed her soundly pushing her head deeper into the feather comforter that lay atop the bed. He used the backs of his fingers to graze the skin of her stomach until they reached the thin strap of lace at the top of her panties.

She moaned into his mouth and arched her back as his fingers found their way under the elastic and disappeared into the tight curls at the top of her thighs. His mouth slid down her cheek to the lobe of her ear. He pulled it gently, tugging with his teeth. "You are not ready for me yet, bien-aimé." He whispered in her ear and then nipped playfully at the cords of her neck down to the hollow of her collarbone.

His senses reeled as he listened as her breath turn to ragged gasps. He could feel the slickness of her folds in his hand. His tongue flicked across her breastbone and his mouth moved to seize her nipple. He could again smell that intoxicating perfume he had caught a whiff of the night Alan Pemberton turned up. It was a scent she must save to wear only after dark.

He heard the pitch of her cries intensify slightly and he removed his hand and moved farther still down her body. He felt like he was moving through quicksand, as if time had slowed to a crawl. Everything felt unreal and yet too real at the same time. Looking at her delectable body gave him the answer; this exact scene had played itself out in his mind's eye a thousand times in the last few years. Now he was here, living and tasting the reality.

He brought her knees apart with his elbows and truly tasted her for the first time. Alex was reaching down touching his face and hair in a silent dialogue of pleasure. He could feel her release build as his tongue alternated between delving into her folds and sucking at her little nub. Her body bucked uncontrollably toward him and he rested one arm across her hips to keep her steady.

"Come on, darlin, come for me." He said feeling her walls tighten around the fingers he had slipped insider her. Suddenly, he was finally hearing the words that spilled from her lips as her body came undone.

Alex was laughing, her breath still coming in gasps as she clutched him by the hair literally pulling him back up to her. "Oh my God, you are never leaving this house again," she declared, reaching down to grasp him in her hand again. "You are amazing." She smiled up at him.

Bobby laughed, "I think your supposed to wait to say that when we're done."

He looked down into her face and was awed by the sight before him. Her hair was damp with sweat, her eyes were slightly glassy and she was pulling at him frantic to feel him inside her. He swept one arm under her waist pulling her body up to meet his as Alex guided him into position.

He wanted to take it slow, but she would have none of it. She thrust her hips to meet his. _Fine, if that was how she wanted it_. He rolled her forward so he was sitting on his knees and brought her up to straddle him. He used his strength to raise and lower her body up and down, impaling her on his shaft with each pass. Alex had let her head fall onto his shoulder but as her climax built she raised up and let her head fall back raising her breasts to his face. She screamed his name and he felt his own orgasm start. The room exploded in Technicolor as he continued to pump inside of her. He felt Alex lean forward, wrapping both arms tightly around his neck. She whispered in his ear that she wanted to do this all night. The very idea almost caused him to come again.

Sleep claimed them much later as the dawn was just beginning to streak the sky.


	9. Pots and Pens

A/N: **ANOTHER SMUTTY CHAPTER**

Aurora does make the most exquisite pens, check em out.

Acqua Pazza means crazy water in Italian the recipe can be found at Wikipedia or many other cooking websites. It sounds delicious but like Alex, my cooking skills are limited.

Thank you to everyone who was able to help me answer the question of which episode that Alex's delivers her line about married liars. Special thanks to LadyBlueDevil86 for knowing that Slither was the correct episode. Thanks honey, I was frantic to keep writing that night, you saved the life of my muse and she thanks you too.

Please read, review and enjoy!

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Chapter 9: Pots and Pens

Alex awoke to the sound of Bobby's cell phone ringing.

"Hello?" he answered sleepily. "Sorry, Captain, I was really out of it."

She could hear the captain's voice but couldn't make out the words. She started drawing complex patterns on her partner's chest.

"Um, yeah, not a problem, Captain." He spoke into the phone. Bobby captured the hand that was playing with his chest and looked into her eyes. _Fine, let him keep my hand. _She lowered her mouth down to his nipple.

"Right, uh, thanks, we appreciate that, I mean I appreciate that. I'm sure Eames will, when she hears it." He stumbled over the words, rolling his eyes at the touch of her tongue.

He hung up the phone and pulled her onto his chest, planting those incredibly soft lips onto hers. "The captain wants me to check on you," He told her, reaching his hands down to her bum, pulling her more firmly on top of him.

"He does?" Alex asked, renewing her assault on his chest with her lips and let her hips slide back to make contact with his shaft. "What are you going to tell him?"

Bobby groaned as he felt her heat make contact with him. "Nothing, darlin. I'm not gonna tell him a thing." He let his hands encircle her waist and then angled his body to catch her as she slide down once more.

Alex felt him fill her immediately. Her body felt like it was burning from the inside out. Almost without delay, she could feel her climax building, knowing she wouldn't last long in this position.

She opened her eyes and looked down upon the man who was making her feel all these delicious sensations. His head was thrown back and the cords of his neck stood out in his efforts to hold on to his passion. Just the sounds coming from his throat were enough to push Alex over the edge. Her body wound tighter and tighter as she rode him. She arched back and then felt Bobby's thumb find and brush over her clitoris, she screamed his name and could barely maintain her position. She could feel him reach his own climax at the same time. He brought his hands up to her rib cage to pull her down on top of his shaft harder and faster. She saw lights dancing in front of her eyes, feeling almost as if she was losing consciousness. She let her body fall down on his chest. "Mmmm, now that's the way I want to wake up from now on," she told him when she had caught her breath.

Bobby chuckled, his hands making forays around her scapulas and then down her spine and over the mound of her rear. Alex shivered from his touch. She rose up and looked into his eyes, adoring the love and trust she found there.

"So what did the captain want?" She rolled off him and settled into the crook of his arm.

"He said he wanted me to make sure you were all right since it wasn't everyday that your date's fiancé shows up and tries to shoot you."

She smacked his stomach playfully. "I was perfectly fine. You came to my rescue."

The small grin on his face faded. "No lie, Alex, I aged ten years listening to that phone, realizing you were in trouble and having no idea where you were."

"But like any good detective, you figured it out and arrived just in time." She kissed the tip of his nose.

They lay quietly for a few minutes savoring the feeling of holding each other but Alex wasn't surprised to learn that Bobby's mind was still spinning a mile a minute.

"So that dress, last night, that was really for me?"

"I was sitting in my kitchen yesterday after I found out that you had left my car here and that you weren't coming back that morning. I recognized that I had asked you out that evening because I just wanted to be with you and I knew I didn't have the right." She felt tears rise in her throat. "I knew that I might be ruining everything but I couldn't stop myself anymore." She looked up and searched his eyes. "So I decided that I would cut things off with Dante and show up at your apartment, dressed to kill and beg you to take me."

"You wouldn't have needed to beg, believe me." He turned on his side to face her, letting one finger trace her jaw line. "I felt the same way. Checking out Dante, I realized that I was acting more like a jealous boyfriend than a concerned partner."

"Hey, I have something for you," she bounced out of the room to the table in the living room where she had stacked her presents. When she came back into the bedroom, she saw that Bobby had pulled himself into a sitting position, his back against the headboard. She didn't think she had ever seen him looking more sexy.

"Alex, it's not Christmas yet." He said looking at the gift in her hands.

"So, like the Captain told me, we never know if we are going to have to work on Christmas or not, besides I can't wait any longer. I want you to open it now."

It was a small oblong box and Bobby shook it gently under his ear. He then began to slowly and carefully remove the wrapping paper. Alex was beside herself. While she had appreciated this same behavior as he was removing her dress last night, she couldn't stand the suspense of waiting for him to see what she and chosen for him.

He recognized the box when he had removed the paper. His eyes flew to hers with his uncertainty showing in his expression. Inside the box, nestled in creamy satin was a pen.

He whistled as he held it up to the light. "Jeez, Alex!" He looked at her again. "I can't take this. I know how much these cost….this is an Aurora limited edition." He put the pen back in the box.

She climbed on top of him. "I want you to have it. Its blue just like your old pen." He started to protest. "From now on, when I watch you caressing your bottom lip with the tip of your pen while your thinking, I want to know it's the pen I gave you."

His eyes darkened at her words. "Okay, but I want to know that the first place I write with it will be special." He rolled her off the top of him and pushed her face down on the bed with her bum exposed to him.

"Oh God, that tickles." Alex protested.

"Hold still or it'll smudge." He was writing on the cheek of her bum.

He let her up when he was finished and she ran to the bathroom to be able to see what he wrote. It was a small heart with the letters B plus A in the center.

"You are crazy." She said to his reflection in the mirror as he came up behind her.

"About you, I am." He pulled her to him and gazed at their reflection.

"I have your present out in the car, but since I never made it home last night, it isn't wrapped."

"Ooh, what did you get me? I want to see." She handed him a towel.

"I'm not going out to the car wrapped only in a towel. What would your neighbors say?"

"I know my neighbors. They would say lucky Alex."

Bobby looked down at her indignantly and then went to find his clothes. Alex shrugged into her fluffy robe and lay back down in the bed, holding his pen in her hands. It really was a beautiful little thing.

He came back in with a large cardboard box and set in on the bed. Alex scrambled up on her knees beside the box and shook it gently like Bobby had done. There were a host of bangs and clangs from inside the box when she did so. She looked up at him questioningly. He was smirking with his hand covering his mouth.

Alex folded back the flaps and looked inside. "You got me a pot?" She took the lid off of the pot and saw tomatoes, carrots, garlic, peppers and assorted other vegetables and spices inside. Around the outside of the pot was a bottle of olive oil and a bunch of celery.

"Its for making Acqua Pazza. The only thing not in there is the fish."

"Thank God." She looked at him dubiously. "You know I don't cook much."

"Yeah, I was hoping you would let me make it for you." He looked down at the floor with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. "There's an old Italian bottle of wine that goes with it."

Alex watched him shuffle restlessly on his feet and let the full meaning of his gift fill her heart. He was offering to cook for her, to make a dish he obviously enjoyed. He was giving of himself, she couldn't have asked for more.

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A few weeks later they were in the middle of investigating the murder of a bank present name Russell Corbett who had come to New York from Grand Rapids to die of a heroin overdose while persons unknown stripped the high end town house he had been living in.

They had kept their relationship secret from their Captain and co-workers but it was a struggle at times. Especially for Alex, every time she saw her partner writing with his new pen.

They had gotten some prints for a woman reported missing named Hilary Marsdon. They interviewed the woman's sister and then found out where Hilary had been living. They brought her in for questioning.

"You told your parents you were marrying your sole mate?" Alex led in.

"That didn't work out, that's all" Ms. Marsdon answered.

"My partner has famously bad taste in men." Bobby said, giving their suspect a lead in and teasing Alex.

"Married liars, that's my special torture." Alex answered back. _Oh he is going to pay for that later._

That night Alex made her way to Bobby's apartment. They had succeeded in finding a complex schedule that worked for them; staying at his apartment during cases and at her house when they were free and on their days off. She had just put the key in the lock and opened the door when she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled inside.

Bobby pinned her against the wall of the entryway. His hands already searching under the hem of her sweater. "What took you so long?" He said thickly, his tongue caressing her neck under her ear.

She could already feel her body responding to him. "Oh, I must have gotten caught up with ones of those men I have such famously bad taste in." She tried to sound sarcastic but the words came out softly with a ragged edge.

He laughed as he pulled her coat off her body and made short work of her sweater, as well. "No, no, no, bien-aimé. No other men for you, ever." He swept her up in his arms and carried her off to his bedroom.

The End


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